English: In the southern states of the USA, work and music have long had a special alliance. African musical traditions were brutally suppressed during slavery. The plaintive cries (Hollers) of the blacks at work in the fields laid the foundation for gospel, blues and jazz. Alan Lomax impressively documented the musical interplay of tools and voices.

Beyond tourist attractions in Memphis and New Orleans, enthusiasts are now trying to market the the birthplace of blues music - the sate of Mississippi - to a new crowd of tourists - as authentic as possible.